Well, I was recently featured in ReviewSpotting, a magazine in General Games Discussion dedicated to featuring well-written reviews. Ididn't win, I got Honorable Mention. But being featured period is still quite an achievement. I really do recommend you guys check it out since some truly excellent reviews find their way into ReviewSpotting. The winning review in particular, a review of Stranglehold written by Spoonful, is better than many professional reviews out there. I feel truly honored to be put in such a magazine with many excellent reviews.

Anyway, I'm back, sort of. I probably won't be as active as I once was. I'm increasingly busy. I'll use this to keep up my reviewing and post on GUFU every once in a while, but that's about it. I really apologize if I don't get to many of your blogs; I just don't have the time any more. You guys are all great, and I would love to see what you write about, but sadly my time is much more limited these days.

My Hitman 2: Silent Assassin review was the one that was featured. I had much more fun reviewing this game than the positive or somewhat-positive reviews I've written. Hmm...maybe I'll start handing out bad scores for fun. I certainly enjoy beating on a game than praising them, I'll tell you that much.

-norfair_dweller

I probably won't be on GameSpot for a while. I've got a lot of stuff going on right now. I'll check back occasionally and maybe work a bit on Thumbstick Syndrome, but otherwise I won't have time to do much.

It's that time again. I haven't been able to keep up with blogs too well as of late. I've decided this is because there's too many of them! I'm going to untrack the people who don't comment in this blog (the guys who have commented on my blogs recently are safe.)

I was up at Hollywood Video last night, and rented a game and a movie. The movie was a foreign monster film called The Host, and the game was Dewy's Adventure for the Wii.

The Host centers around one man and his family's search for his daughter, who has been taken by the monster and is still believed to be alive. However, the monster in question is claimed to be the host of a deadly virus, hence the title. While not particularly scary, this is a really, really good movie and should be seen. I didn't watch the film in it's original language, but the English dub wasn't that bad, once you get used to the father sounding like an anime teenager and the sound not fitting the peoples' moving lips.

Dewy's Adventure is an action/platformer from the guys who made Elebits. If anyone has played this game, can they please tell me if it gets any better? So far, it's a simple Point A to Point B romp while collecting cutesy, tan creatures and enemies thrown in for good measure. The game feels too slow and the ideas it had, from what I played, are nothing but lost potential. The player controls Dewy by tilting the stage. His movement has been slowed so he's not going super-fast at an uncontrollable speed, Super Monkey Ball-style. In other words, quick movement has been sacrificed for more precision. However, this trade-off makes the game boring. It doesn't really feel precise, either. Moving and especially jumping have an inprecise feel to them.

I've decided to start up what can best be described as an online gaming magazine, published right here in my blog. However, this magazine (currently titled "Thumbstick Syndrome", but that may change) won't focus quite so much on the gaming industry and news. There will be a small section devoted to that, but parroting the same stories over and over again really is old.

This magazine will focus much more on gaming as a hobby, instead of the usual game news magazine approach. Another big focus will be the writers' opinions on topics currently going on, since there seems to be a lack of it. As I said, most magazines and online websites don't have any or very many editorials; they just say what everyone else says. There will be reviews all right, but since Thumbstick Syndrome won't focus so much on the present the reviews can be for any game. No scores, either. This forces the reader to look at the review's content.

What I'm telling this to you for is because I need writers. If you'd be interested in writing a review, editorial, or some other form of story then notify me. And please only volunteer if you're willing to be dedicated. Don't tell me you will and end up doing next to nothing. I'll also need someone who can use Photoshop or a similar program that manipulates and creates images. My role will serve as a writer and editor. I'll PM further information to volunteers; if you would like to see this further information, please inform me of this.

Well, I've given out my first poor score. The recipient of my first kick in the nether parts is Hitman 2: Silent Assassin at a 4.0. I did enjoy this game, but I'm not the average reviewer who gives games 10s because I liked them. From a different standpoint, Hitman 2 is flawed and frustrating to the point of ridiculousness so that's why it's receivedsuch an awful score. And I have more fun when I'm insulting a game rather than praising it.

Linkification.

The PlayStation Portable....Sony's attempt to conquer the handheld market. While it was a failed attempt, you do have to give them credit for breaking in. No one before them has been able to stand up to Nintendo. However, the multimedia may be a bigger contributor to the PSP's success than the games themselves. That's beside the point, though. I'm trying to accumulate several systems from the last-generation, starting with the Xbox and moving on to the PS2. Two that will be left out are the PSP and the Dreamcast (I'm not sure that the PSP can be counted as last-generation, though.)

I really don't want a multimedia device. It's not something I see myself using a lot, so I probably wouldn't have a use for it. Since this is a big function of the PSP, it's already in an unfavorable position to me personally.

The second function is games. I don't like the PSP's games. The library doesn't impress me and the games that might impress don't appeal to me. The flaw in my eyes with the game library is that the games really aren't handheld games. PSP games are more console-game-wannabes (and some such as the Grand Theft Auto Stories series are no longer wannabes through porting) than handheld games. I don't want to play a console-ish game on the go, I want to play a handheld game. That's one of the big areas where the PSP failed to me. It doesn't have "true" handheld games. I don't want to play console-type games ona handheld, I want to play console-type games on a console.

Another big factor for the games is the controls. I hate the control scheme, too. The buttons feel plastic and cheap. The analog stick is really awful. I hate the feel and the placement. This device can be best summed up in one word: awkward. It was placed there to better emulate console games, which I feel handheld games shouldn't try to do. And how can you emulate a console game with only one, and one that's extremely awkward?

Now don't get me wrong, I think the PSP's a good system. I can understand why people would like it. It's just not for mebecause ofthe reasons above.

Heavenly Sword, Lair. Ninja Theory, Factor 5. I'm using only the PS3 as an example here, but make no mistake, all are guilty when it comes down to it.

I don't trust developers of exclusive, flagship titles. Why? The answer is simple. Ninja Theory and Factor 5 have had nothing but good things to say about the PS3 and how the other consoles are inferior. This has led me to believe that developers behind such titles can't be trusted. Now, I understand a developer isn't going to blatantly diss their own game, so there's no problem with them praising their own game.

When they start repeatedly praising the console and bashing others is where things get fishy. Bottom line: developers of the flagship titles shouldn't be trusted. Period.

[video=JXxgkTD-5b8IuzPX]

Okay, I uploaded my Gears of War Music Video (well, really a trailer but I didn't think calling it a trailer would get as much attention.) There it is, in all its Nickelbackish glory. Hope you enjoy, and be sure to let me know what you think!

While you've been celebrating my absence (that's right, fess up; I'm not as stupid as I look), you may have wondered where I was. I flew to Miami, Flordia and boarded a Carnival cruise ship for a few days. Long story short, it was a pretty nice cruise. But now I'm back to annoy the crap out of you guys, so beware!

(And since so many blogs have piled up, I'll reply to your next entries.)